Experimental Feeding of Some Medusae and Chaetognatha

1969 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1743-1762 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Fraser

The feeding behaviour of eight species of medusae was studied; total food consumed, rates of digestion, and growth rate were noted, especially in Cyanea and Aurelia.Aurelia up to 5 cm diam can accept a wide range of size of food organisms obtained by filtering sea water through the curtain of tentacles during pulsation, whereas most other species find their food by random contact with the tentacles. In Bougainvillia it is the dichotomously branched oral tentacles that capture the food. The apparent selectivity of Sarsia in feeding on copepods is shown to be a physical effect produced by its method of swimming. Leuckartiara can catch and eat active organisms larger than itself. None of the medusae examined showed any reaction to artificial stimulation by a vibrating probe.The method of transfer of food from the tentacles to the mouth is closely associated with the structure of the medusa. Long trailing tentacles contract and lift food towards the mouth and if the manubrium is long it can be manipulated to pick off the food from the tentacles. If the tentacles are short the umbrella edge folds inwards towards the mouth. If there is no manubrium, as in Staurophora, the cruciform stomach can accept food at any point.Larval fish are important in the diet of most medusae and rough estimates are given of a probable consumption of 50–250 larval fish per hydromedusa, about 450–500 by each Aurelia, and in the order of 15,000 by Cyanea. A conversion factor is given for food eaten by medusae of 37%, though this is based on only few data.Following the work of Horridge and Boulton (Proc. Roy. Soc. (Ser. B) 168: 413–419, 1967), who found that Spadella could be artificially stimulated to bite vibrating probes, similar experiments were made with Sagitta elegans. Although the chaetognaths were successfully kept alive the probes produced no feeding reaction. The methods are outlined for the benefit of others wishing to continue such investigations.

2006 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 134-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mats A. Granskog ◽  
Jari Uusikivi ◽  
Alberto Blanco Sequeiros ◽  
Eloni Sonninen

AbstractSalt segregation and isotopic fractionation during sea-ice formation can be parameterized as a function of the ice growth rate. We performed a study to investigate if the salt segregation models derived for saline sea-ice studies are pertinent during the growth of Baltic Sea ice in brackish water. We used a time series of ice-salinity profiles and modeled growth rates to examine the relationship between effective salt segregation and growth rate. The results show that models derived for saline sea water are not directly applicable for use in the brackish waters of the Baltic Sea. We derived a simple model for the effective salt segregation in relation to ice growth rate, for a wide range of growth rates, pertinent for use in low-salinity Baltic Sea conditions and in the future development of a Baltic Sea ice salinity model.


2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (8) ◽  
pp. 236-240
Author(s):  
Dr.R. Murugesan ◽  
M. Leelavathi ◽  
Dr. K. Ravindran

towards jumping from the category of developing economy to developed economy there is one big factor that stops and poses a hindrance in its path of advancement and that obstacle is termed as Poverty. The Indian economic policy focuses on a high growth rate along with a equal participation of the poor so that they avail the opportunities available in the market economy. And in order to ensure the participation of the poor it has become important for the country to create a platform where the poor can easily access the various financial products. Microfinance is one such strategy for inclusive growth. Microfinance can change the life of the poor though not completely but a reasonable change can be ensured. In different phases of life women play a crucial role despite the discrimination that is faced by them. But equality can be endowed to women by enhancing the entrepreneurial skills in them. This is possible through Self Help Groups (SHGs). In India women produce around 30% of the total food consumed but she gets only 10% of the property or wealth of the country. Development of women is inevitable for the development and growth of any economy. SHGs happen to be a positive step in this direction. Along with these mediums there should be a cheap and easy source of credit for them and Microfinance fulfills the requirement. This study aims to find the role of this strong medium of Microfinance in the advancement of SHGs in India


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 336
Author(s):  
Laura Matarredona ◽  
Mónica Camacho ◽  
Basilio Zafrilla ◽  
Gloria Bravo-Barrales ◽  
Julia Esclapez ◽  
...  

Haloarchaea can survive and thrive under exposure to a wide range of extreme environmental factors, which represents a potential interest to biotechnology. Growth responses to different stressful conditions were examined in the haloarchaeon Haloferax mediterranei R4. It has been demonstrated that this halophilic archaeon is able to grow between 10 and 32.5% (w/v) of sea water, at 32–52 °C, although it is expected to grow in temperatures lower than 32 °C, and between 5.75 and 8.75 of pH. Moreover, it can also grow under high metal concentrations (nickel, lithium, cobalt, arsenic), which are toxic to most living beings, making it a promising candidate for future biotechnological purposes and industrial applications. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis quantified the intracellular ion concentrations of these four metals in Hfx. mediterranei, concluding that this haloarchaeon can accumulate Li+, Co2+, As5+, and Ni2+ within the cell. This paper is the first report on Hfx. mediterranei in which multiple stress conditions have been studied to explore the mechanism of stress resistance. It constitutes the most detailed study in Haloarchaea, and, as a consequence, new biotechnological and industrial applications have emerged.


2022 ◽  
Vol 327 ◽  
pp. 82-97
Author(s):  
He Qin ◽  
Guang Yu Yang ◽  
Shi Feng Luo ◽  
Tong Bai ◽  
Wan Qi Jie

Microstructures and mechanical properties of directionally solidified Mg-xGd (5.21, 7.96 and 9.58 wt.%) alloys were investigated at a wide range of growth rates (V = 10-200 μm/s) under the constant temperature gradient (G = 30 K/mm). The results showed that when the growth rate was 10 μm/s, different interface morphologies were observed in three tested alloys: cellular morphology for Mg-5.21Gd alloy, a mixed morphology of cellular structure and dendritic structure for Mg-7.96Gd alloy and dendrite morphology for Mg-9.58Gd alloy, respectively. Upon further increasing the growth rate, only dendrite morphology was exhibited in all experimental alloys. The microstructural parameters (λ1, λ2) decreased with increasing the growth rate for all the experimental alloy, and the measured λ1 and λ2 values were in good agreement with Trivedi model and Kattamis-Flemings model, respectively. Vickers hardness and the ultimate tensile strength increased with the increase of the growth rate and Gd content, while the elongation decreased gradually. Furthermore, the relationships between the hardness, ultimate tensile strength, the growth rate and the microstructural parameters were discussed and compared with the previous experimental results.


2021 ◽  
Vol 87 (9) ◽  
pp. 59-67
Author(s):  
A. A. Khlybov ◽  
Yu. G. Kabaldin ◽  
M. S. Anosov ◽  
D. A. Ryabov ◽  
D. A. Shatagin

The evolution of the structure and assessment of the age limit of steel 12Cr18Ni10Ti upon fatigue loading is considered using neural network modeling and approaches of fractal analysis of the microstructure. An algorithm for processing images of the microstructures has been developed to improve their quality. An indicator of the fractal dimension of the image is used as a quantitative indicator for assessing the evolution of the microstructure of the surface metal layer. A quantitative assessment of the structures at different stress amplitudes is carried out in a wide range of low temperatures using the fractal dimension index. Correlation of the fractal dimension index with the run of the sample material is shown. The appearance of the main crack was observed in the range of 0.7 - 0.8 from the number of cycles to failure, after which the crack growth rate increased. At a lower temperature, the main crack is formed later, but further loading results in a higher crack growth rate. Formation of the secondary phases in austenitic steel at a lower temperature occurred at earlier stages than that at a temperature of t = +20°C, which led to hardening of the material. An artificial neural network (ANN) has been developed and trained for assessing structural changes in metal proceeding from the fractal dimensionality of the microstructure images at different stages of fatigue loading. The developed neural network made it possible to estimate with a sufficiently high accuracy the number of cycles before damage of the sample and the residual life of the material. Thus, the developed ANN can be used to assess the current state of the material in a wide range of low temperatures.


Paleobiology ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 469-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kirk Cochran ◽  
Danny M. Rye ◽  
Neil H. Landman

The growth rate of Nautilus pompilius in its natural environment has been determined from radioactive disequilibrium between 210Pb (half-life 22.3 yr) and its granddaughter 210Po (half-life 138 d) in septa of two juvenile specimens. 210Pb and 210Po data from the most recently formed shell material of both specimens indicate that 210Pb from sea water is incorporated into septa during septal formation and 210Po is excluded. Therefore the 210Po/210Pb activity ratio serves as a chronometer to estimate the age of each septum and the time between formation of septa. In the specimens studied the average time between sucessive points in septal deposition is 75 d for the nine most recent septa of one specimen and 23 d for the six most recent septa of the other specimen. These different growth rates, if representative of the ontogeny of each animal, suggest that the timing of septal deposition probably is dependent on the rate of shell and tissue growth coupled with buoyancy requirements and is not a unique period for all Nautilus. The habitat and ontogeny of Nautilus may be inferred from the pattern of stable isotopes of oxygen and carbon in the septa. Both specimens show a pronounced break in δ18O from nearly uniform light values in the first seven septa to heavier values (∼1%) after the seventh septum. We interpret this break to correspond to the hatching of Nautilus. A temperature (i.e. water depth) interpretation of the δ18O data for septa after the eighth is complicated by a positive correlation between δ18O and δ13C. This may reflect horizontal migration of the animal or a kinetically controlled fractionation of carbon and oxygen isotopes during septal formation.


Author(s):  
G. W. Bryan ◽  
L. G. Hummerstone ◽  
Eileen Ward

Zinc is one of the most important of the essential trace metals and more than 90 zinc-containing enymes and proteins have been discovered: furthermore, zinc increases the activity of many other enzymes (Vallee, 1978). It is not surprising, therefore, that in some groups of animals the body concentration is regulated against fluctuations in intake. Decapod crustaceans comprise one such group, although the ways in which regulation is achieved vary from species to species. In the freshwater crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes, excretion in the faeces is a major pathway for removing zinc (Bryan, 1967a) whereas in the shore crab Carcinus maenas losses over the body surface also assume considerable importance (Bryan, 1966). On the other hand, preliminary work on the lobster Homarus gammarus (formerly H. vulgaris) suggests that in this species urinary excretion plays a major role in regulation (Bryan, 1964). The present work continues the study of zinc regulation in lobsters and its main aims are: (1) to measure rates of absorption from sea water over a wide range of concentrations and study the uptake mechanism; (2) to examine absorption from the stomach under different conditions; (3) to determine the relative importance of different pathways for the removal of zinc in response to various levels of intake.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-28
Author(s):  
N. A. Davidovich ◽  
O. I. Davidovich

Distribution of diatom algae is limited by their tolerance to environmental factors. Although a genus Toxarium has been evolving for more than 100 million years, it is represented by only two species. Toxarium undulatum is widely spread in tropical and subtropical seas, and it can be also found in the Black Sea, the salinity of which is twice lower than the oceanic one. Ecological and psychological characteristics research of this species is of great interest in terms of its relationship to salinity. T. undulatum clonal cultures were sampled in the Donuzlav Lake connected to the Black Sea (southwest of the Crimean Peninsula) and on Gran Canaria coast (Canary Islands archipelago). Experiments on the salinity tolerance limits showed, that the Black Sea clones were viable in a range of at least 30 ‰ (12 to 42 ‰). The same wide range of salinity tolerance with slightly higher values was observed among oceanic clones of this species. Optima of vegetative growth and sexual reproduction were determined. Optima of the Black Sea clones appeared to be 27.8 and 27.2 ‰, respectively, which was significantly higher than salinity observed in population habitat. Similar higher optima of vegetative growth and sexual reproduction, compared with those salinity values, at which natural population developed, were observed for a number of other Black Sea diatoms, which proved their oceanic (Mediterranean) origin. It was concluded that T. undulatum, along with other species, began to populate the Black Sea basin about seven thousand years ago after Mediterranean Sea water started to flow into the freshened Novoevksinsky Sea-Lake through the Bosporus Strait. However, the evolution rate did not allow bringing physiological and ecological characteristics of the species studied into full agreement with environmental conditions. Oceanic origin is evidently seen in its physiological reactions to salinity. Possibility of speciation due to settlement of the Black Sea with oceanic species is discussed.


Author(s):  
A. R. Ansari ◽  
H. B. Khaleeq ◽  
A. Thakker

This paper presents a comparison of self-rectifying turbines for the Oscillating Water Column (OWC) based Wave Energy power extracting device using numerical simulation. The two most commonly used turbines for OWC based devices, the Impulse and the Wells turbines were evaluated under real sea simulated conditions. Assuming the quasi-steady condition, experimental data for both 0.6m turbines with 0.6 hub to tip ratio was used to predict their behavior under real sea conditions. The real sea water surface elevation time history data was used to simulate the flow conditions using standard numerical simulation techniques. A simple geometry of the OWC was considered for the simulation. The results show that the overall mean performance of an Impulse turbine is better than the Wells turbine under unsteady, irregular real sea conditions. The Impulse turbine was observed to be more stable over a wide range of flow conditions. This paper reports the comparison of performance characteristics of both these turbines under simulated real sea conditions.


1979 ◽  
Vol 36 (12) ◽  
pp. 1497-1502 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. Buckley

The protein, DNA, and RNA content of larvae maintained at 1.0 plankter/mL increased at the rates of 9.3, 9.9, and 9.8% per day, respectively, for the 5 wk after hatching. Protein reserves of larvae held at 0 or 0.2 plankters/mL were depleted by 45 and 35%, respectively, prior to death 12–13 d after hatching. Starved larvae had similar protein concentrations (percent of dry weight), lower RNA concentrations, and higher DNA concentrations than fed larvae. Larvae held at higher plankton densities had higher RNA–DNA ratios and faster growth rates than larvae held at lower plankton densities. The RNA–DNA ratio was significantly correlated (P < 0.01) with the protein growth rate. The RNA–DNA ratio appears to be a useful index of nutritional status in larval Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and may be useful for determining if cod larvae were in a period of rapid or slow growth at the time of capture. Key words: RNA–DNA ratio, starvation, protein, nucleic acids, growth, larval fish, Atlantic cod


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